Patrice Douglas: Boost American Energy Production to Control High Energy Costs
RealClear Energy recently published an op-ed by GAIN’s Patrice Douglas, an attorney and former chairman of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, regarding domestic energy production and pipeline infrastructure. The piece highlights how the Biden administration’s restrictive energy policies are not effectively addressing the steady rise in gas prices across the country. Gas prices at the pump are averaging more than $4 per gallon as crude oil prices are more than $100 a barrel.
The rising cost of energy has also fueled the steady rise in prices, and it was announced in April that inflation rose 8.3 percent over the last 12 months. Douglas believes the best way to combat these challenges is to increase domestic energy production.
In her piece, Douglas writes: “Encouraging domestic oil production should become a core tenet to President Biden’s approach. Specifically, the administration should support a more efficient process for permitting pipeline infrastructure, and reverse the current pause on federal leasing. The consequences for not investing in domestic energy production here at home are clear. But it is not too late to put our country back on the right course to – once again – reach energy independence.”
Our country’s vast network of pipelines are integral to energy and national security, which connect often-remote oil producing areas with storage and refining facilities hundreds of miles away. One pipeline that is undergoing yet another environmental review by the federal government is the Dakota Access Pipeline, which is responsible for transporting over half a million barrels of oil per day. Douglas notes DAPL “is one of the most technologically advanced and safest pipelines ever built. Entirely underground, this pipeline meets or exceeds every state, local and federal safety requirement.”
Further, the piece includes recent polling conducted by GAIN showing Americans support the continued operation of the Dakota Access Pipeline by a five to one margin. The survey also found that a majority of Americans support increasing U.S energy production in light of President Biden’s decision to halt Russian oil imports.
Douglas concludes his piece by writing, “the consequences for not investing in domestic energy production here at home are clear. But it is not too late to put our country back on the right course to – once again – reach energy independence.” To effectively address rising energy costs, the U.S. needs to continue to invest in domestic energy production and the necessary infrastructure.